Effectiveness of social robots in improving psychological well-being of hospitalised children: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Aim

To evaluate the effectiveness of social robots in reducing pain, stress, and anxiety among hospitalised children.

Background

Children are often subjected to painful medical procedures during hospitalisation, resulting in pain, stress and anxiety. This can have significant implications for a child's psychological and overall well-being. Therefore, it is essential to alleviate these emotions among hospitalised children.

Methods

The review included studies involving hospitalised children ages 1–12 who underwent any medical procedure and received interventions involving social robots. Six databases were searched for articles published on the review topic. The search timeline was from January 2013 to January 2024. The included studies need to assess the effectiveness of the robots in improving primary outcomes such as pain, stress, distress, or anxiety levels. A meta-analysis of these variables was conducted.

Results

The meta-analysis of 313 participants found that social robots had a standardised mean difference (SMD) of −0.10 (95 % CI: −0.41 to 0.22, P = 0.54) in reducing pain, indicating no significant effect. For stress and distress, with a total of 309 participants, the SMD was −0.33 (95 % CI: −0.62 to −0.03, P = 0.003), and for anxiety, including 335 participants, the SMD was −0.42 (95 % CI: −0.73 to −0.10, P = 0.09). These findings suggest that while social robots are not effective in reducing pain, however, they are effective in lowering stress and anxiety levels in hospitalised children undergoing painful medical procedures.

Conclusion

This review highlights the efficacy of social robots when introduced to hospitalised children who are undergoing painful medical procedures. Nurses could consider integrating social robots into patient care protocols, which would yield advantages for anxious young children and their parents, as social robots help improving the child's psychological and overall well-being during medical procedures.